Sŏwŏn

Sŏwŏn, private Confucian academies of the KoreanChosŏn (Yi) dynasty (1392–1910), founded by the members of the ruling class who did not hold official posts; their purpose was the educating of local yangban, or aristocratic youth. Sŏwŏn were usually built on sites associated with famous Confucian scholars of the past. They had their origin in the Paekundong Sŏwŏn, established in 1543 by Chu Sebung, a county magistrate in Kyŏngsang province, in honour of the Korean scholar An Yu.

Toson Sowon school, Andong, S.Kor.

Jupiterimages—Photos.com/Thinkstock

The birth of the sŏwŏn at first contributed to the reinvigoration of Confucian learning in Korea. But they soon developed into family and factional power bases that tended to accentuate the growing divisions among the ruling class. Although at their height there were about 600 sŏwŏn, most had already been closed before the introduction of modern public educational institutes made their functions outmoded.

Learn More in these related articles:

the way of life propagated by Confucius in the 6th–5th century bce and followed by the Chinese people for more than two millennia. Although transformed over time, it is still the substance of learning, the source of values, and the social code of the Chinese. Its influence has also extended...

the last and longest-lived imperial dynasty (1392–1910) of Korea. Founded by Gen. Yi Sŏng-gye, who established the capital at Hanyang (present-day Seoul), the kingdom was named Chosŏn for the state of the same name that had dominated the Korean peninsula in ancient times. The...